Jay ex Ipswich Star charged
Suitcases with around 60kg of cannabis were seized at Stansted Airport; Jay Emmanuel-Thomas – who started his football career at Arsenal before playing for Ipswich, Bristol City, QPR, Livingston and Aberdeen – was arrested and charged in relation to the incident along with two women.
Officers at Border Force seized two suitcases containing drugs estimated to be worth around £600,000 which had been flown into the Essex airport from Bangkok.
Officers arrested a man just after 8am on Thursday 19 September 2024 on suspicion of orchestrating the attempted importation of cannabis.
Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton – with whom Jay had signed a six-month deal in July – confirmed on Thursday night his contract had been terminated “with immediate effect”.
Jay, 33, of Cardwell Road, has since been charged in connection with the incident.
The 33-year-old is accused of importing class B drugs but made no plea at his hearing at Carlisle Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Jay, also known as ‘JET’, did not enter a plea during his court appearance, but Jay’s lawyer said he “strenuously” denied involvement according to the BBC.
Jay scored nine goals for Ipswich FC in 75 games during his spell at Portman Road after joining the Blues for £1.1m from Arsenal in 2011.
However, he departed Ipswich two years later to join Bristol City in a straight swap for Paul Anderson.
He also played for Queens Park Rangers and Thai side PTT Rayong, as well as across the border in Scotland for Livingston, Aberdeen and, currently Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton.
NCA Senior Investigating Officer David Phillips said: “The NCA continues to work with partners like Border Force to target those involved in drug smuggling – that includes both the couriers and the organisers.
“We would appeal to anyone who is approached to engage in any kind of smuggling to think very carefully about the likely consequences of their actions, and the potentially life-changing risks they will be taking.”
Two women aged 28 and 32 were also arrested and appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court. They were bailed to appear before Chelmsford Crown Court on October 1, 2024.
Jay – Ipswich Town
2011–12 season
On 26 July 2011, Jay signed for Championship club Ipswich Town for an undisclosed fee. Jay scored his first goal for Ipswich in a 2–1 League Cup defeat to Northampton Town on 9 August 2011. His first league goal proved only to be a consolation as Ipswich were beaten 5–2 by Southampton on 16 August.
Despite notching his first goal for the club, it was clear that Jay was still someway from his best, and was only showing glimpses of the trickery he had displayed in the Arsenal reserves. However, as the season moved into 2012, he really began to show the sort of form Ipswich fans had expected of him, despite the fact that the team were experiencing a poor run of form. After a number of long range efforts that had stung various keepers’ fingertips and rattled the woodwork,
Jay picked up his second and third goals for Town, as they pulled out one of the most surprising results of the season by hammering league leaders West Ham United 5–1.
